War of the Heart
by kevins8
Summary: Edward finally asks the fatal question to Winry, only to see his whole life fall apart around him. After everyone he knows and loves have been slaughtered, there's only one thing left in him, and that's the need for revenge...
1. New begginings

kevins8: yeah, this is my first fanfic in years so don't mind if its a bit rusty. after figuring out that my stories suck a year or so ago, i've done some serious work improving it, okay no i didn't, but i really thought about trying. anyways, after reading some other stories on fanfic that puts even mine in a good light, i've decided to give it another try. constructive criticism is welcomed, thought not that welcomed. Anyways, read, enjoy, and of course, review so i know you guys want me to continue

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****Memories**

_Edward: Winry, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a long time…_

_The blonde girl by the counter turned around and faced the young man with a puffed up feature and a wide frown on her forehead._

_Winry: Okay, I know of the recent uproar with the Cretan's coming out of nowhere and everyone being on the edge but I'm warning you, if it has anything to do with your automail then…_

_Edward: Will you marry me?_

_Winry: Wh…what did you say?_

_The young man got down on one knee and drew forth a velvet box from the inside of his jacket. Starring Winry right in the eye, Edward slowly opened the box to reveal a brilliant turquoise ring sitting snugly on a black cushion._

_Edward: Winry… Wil..Will you marry me?_

_Winry:Oh… Ed, yes. Yes, I do!_

_Without giving him any time to think, Winry enfolded Edward in a hug that left him breathless. Edward carefully took out the precious ring out of its case and slid it gently onto Winry's finger. _

_Edward: So, now about the automail thing…_

_BONG! _

_Winry: Just because we're engaged now doesn't change a thing. If you…_

_Edward gently massaged the throbbing point below his temple and tried his best not to grimace as he replied: Relax, it was a joke, jeesh! _

_Winry: Oh, I'm so sorry. Here, I'll get an icepack. I'll…_

_Any further comment was muffled as Edward gently kissed her on the lip which was soon returned. The two ended up running out and sitting under the big tree in the orchard._

_Winry: I have to tell grandma and everyone else about this. Wait right here, I'll be back before you know it._

_Edward: Be carefu… _

_Before he could utter anything else, Winry was already gone. Edward watched her run down the street and smiled to himself. Watching her, he noted the golden hair falling gently to the shoulders, shining brightly as the sun hit it, and thinking how beautiful Winry was. Then everything was engulfed in light…_

…darkness. Edward was sick of it. Sitting in a trench covered up by mud and silt, he listened to the rumble of thousands of footsteps rolling above him and got ready.

"Common, bastard, just a little bit closer…" Edward thought to himself. Soon he heard the first footsteps coming from the top of his trench and knew it was time. With two feet firmly pressed on the ground, he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, concentrated and waited for all hell to break lose. "This is for you, Winry…"

The walls of his trench started shaking, and then collapsed entirely as did the ground for miles around as the earth was being transformed into razor sharp spikes. An eagle flying overhead blinked as it saw countless people suddenly give one unified scream as the ground beneath their feet disappeared and they were impaled on the spikes below it. The survivors only had a moment to comprehend the death of their comrades before the spikes disappeared and turned once again into the earth it was originally transformed from, burying any survivors several meters under the ground.

"It's done." Edward started digging himself out of the trench and took a peak onto the surface. The landscape seemed the same as the last time he seen it before he descended into the trench but Edward knew that it was just an illusion. The gentle meadow that he stood on hides the grisly death of thousands, some of which are dying at the very moment as their lungs try to fill themselves with air but finding only soil and gravel. Edward noticed the other alchemist coming out of their own separate trenches to observe the grisly massacre they have committed only a few feet below where they stood. Edward ignored the other alchemist and headed for his jeep hidden by the nearby forest. On his way, he was stopped by another alchemist.

"General Elric, congratulations, your plan worked. The Cretans never saw it coming…" The alchemist stumbled as Edward walked right pass him, giving him no indication that he was being heard.

Edward walked passed the alchemist only to be pulled roughly by another, a pale looking one who couldn't be older then 20.

"How can your permit that? This isn't even war, its murder. They weren't even armed..."

"Did you just raise your voice to your commander? Name, rank, and serial number. " Edward stared down coldly at the boy standing next to him. Though he wasn't much taller one look at Edward's eyes caused people twice his size to flinch and shudder.

Trying to stareEdward in the eye but not quite succeeding, the young alchemist replied:

"The name is Stan Dewford, rank of colonel, from Delta Section." After a bit of a pause, he added with a twist on his lips: "General Elric"

Edward ignored the insult and shouted out his orders: "You will report to base for disciplinary action, is that understood?" Without waiting to see if he was, Edward headed off and ignored the mumblings from the alchemist around the battlefield.

One alchemist muttered to the one beside him: "That kid scares me. Responsible for the deaths of thousands and doesn't even flinch…"

"You're new around here, right?"

"Right, how'd you guess?"

"Because that kid, is the general of the army, second to none except maybe King Bradley and then maybe not even him."

"That's him! But he's so small..."

"Yeah, don't let his size fool you. He's the most ruthless and hardest man in the millitary. His hands are stained with blood of the countless of Cretan's he single-handedly disposed off. That's why he's known as the Hand of Death. Rumors has it that his wife, brother, family, and friends all died during the bombing the Cretan's launched that set of this war."

" Brrr… I'm just glad he's on our side"

This caused the other alchemist to snicker.

"What's so funny?"

"Hah, you and the military are fools if you actually believe he's on anyone's side. That boy's facing the real war inside him, and it's one he can't hope to win. Killing Cretans just helps delay him from facing that war and he knows it! But in the end, he will end up facing it and I do wonder what the outcome will be…"

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kevins8: so, what do you think? who are the Cretans? Why are thousands of adults letting a pipsqueak lead them? why is that pipsqueak in turn killing thousands of other adults? okay jokes aside, if you want to find out those answers, review! 


	2. Death?

kevins8: yeah, i updated. thnxs for ur reviews everyone. anyways, don't feel like typing much cause i can't feel my legs, track and field, don't join, its suicide xx

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**Death?**

"_Owwww, what happened?" Edward moaned and tried to open his eyes but was forced to blink them shut quickly as the harsh glow of florescent lights attacked his already bleary vision. After blinking several times, he was able to get a fix of his surroundings. It took him only a moment to guess he was in a hospital, knowing that no other place had as many annoying machines that seemed to do nothing but beep and make noise. Trying to move his arms, he groaned when his automail failed to move. Knowing Winry was totally going to rip to shreds, engaged or no, Edward was already scrolling down a long list of pre-made excuses when the nurse came in. _

_She was carrying a tray with a needle and some antibiotics to his horror. The nurse placed the tray on the table beside him and stared down at Edward with concern. "Ah Mr. Elric. You seem better and recovered today. We were quite worried, especially because of what happened…" _

_Suddenly, it all came rushing back to him. The flash of light… Explosion… Edward tried remembering exactly what happened but all he could recall was a flash and then darkness. An icy sense of dread shot down his spine as his memories caught up to him._

"_Winry, Alphone, everyone, what happened!" _

"_Mr. Edward, please calm down. I think you bette…"_

"_No of course their okay. What am I thinking? I mean, Al is a suit of armour for crying out loud, it's going to take way more then some explosion to knock him out. And Winry, she's always going to be…"Edward stared into the eyes of the nurse and even though already knowing it deep down inside, he tried to deny it, as if talking it away would make it not exist. But of course, in the end he had to face the truth, and no amount of talking could solve that._

"_Mr. Edward, I think there's something you need to see." _

_Edward stared in horror as the nurse took out a copy of the daily newspaper. The front page was that of his home, the house he had build for Winry and Al in the middle of the city. Except there was no house or city left. Only the charred skeletons of the once bustling community remained, the ashes already being blown away by the wind…_

"_No, it can't be…" Edward heard the machine beside him give one long beep but barely noticed as the edges of his vision blurred and the world was swallowed in darkness once again. _

"BEEEEPPP!"

Edward snapped out of his nightmare and realized he'd fallen asleep in his jeep. A yellow Honda driver was shouting something obscene through his window but Edward barely noticed. His jeep was parked in front of the train tracks, forming a one car blockage that caused the traffic of rest of the street to be at a standstill. Dimly, Edward remembered the cargo train coming in and him stopping. He was so tired then, the battle having left him drained, he had decided to close his eyes for a second and then…

"Don't think about it!" Edward repeated it over and over again in his head. He tried shaking off the grisly images in his mind and pushed down on the gas pedal, knowing that someone would call the cops anytime now if not already for obstructing traffic. Finding the army's general being the cause would result in no end of talk and Edward already had as much media coverage on him as law allowed without reporters actually bugging his house and hiding in his closet which Edward was convinced they did anyways. The rest of the drive was a struggle to stay awake as Edward had to stifle a yawn every few seconds. After an hour fight to keep his dropping eyelids open, Edward parked his car and approached the towering military headquarters in the heart of Central. Walking in the front door, Edward noticed everyone tense and go stock still as people noticed he had entered. Ignoring them like usual, Edward took the elevator which announced itself with a long "Bing" that resounded throughout the bottom floor. Edward stepped in, took the elevator to the very top floor, stepped out, and was immediately assaulted by one of the few people that didn't shy away from him when he entered a room.

"Aha, there you are." A red headed girl was standing before Edward with arms crossed and a thick scowl across her face. "Do you have any idea of how many meetings, conferences and interviews I had to reschedule because you decided to play hero? For crying out, you're the general, not some soldier! Do you have any idea how rash and.."

Edward tried to get a word edgewise but decided not to, knowing how Jenny's tantrums would only swell up if challenged. After three more minutes of solid shouting, Edward was finally able to stop the ringing in his ears. "Well Jenny, nice to see you too." Edward paused, seeing Jenny tap her foot in impatience, with ears perked up and nose held high, it was a sure sign she was waiting for something, probably an apology. Well, she was going to wait a long time, Edward mused. "You know, I did warn you before you took the job…"

If possible, this made Jenny's face even redder and Edward braced himself for another round of shouting. He wasn't disappointed. "Oh warn me, right. When I took this job, where was the warning of the bloody General of the Army bailing out on press conferences at the last minute? Of the general that sneaks out his office and going to the field to get himself killed? For god sake, I would have your room locked up and nailed shut if it weren't for the fact that the last time I did that ended up with you jumping out of the five story window!"

"Well I did say I was sorry, but I had no choice there, now did I" Edward grinned, the act looking alien in his normally strict and vigilant face, thinking back to the time when Jenny actually did end up nailing his door to make sure he couldn't escape for his press conference that night. He ended up jumping out the window after transmuting his daily schedule into an umbrella. That caused quite a stir around Central and needless to say, Jenny hadn't nailed his office shut since.

Jenny moaned. "Well, if you reconsider about tonight, all you have to do is tell me." She knew she couldn't convince him and that tonight's press conference was a goner but tried anyways. Already thinking about some new excuse for Edward, Jenny gave him today's schedule knowing that he wouldn't follow any of it. "You know, I really see no point in even giving you this."

"Who knows, maybe your attitude might rub off on me someday." This caused Jenny to pull her lips in a tight line, trying to see if Edward was trying to be sardonic. "Anyway's I'll be in my office but messengers enter at their peril" With a satisfied smirk, Edward knew his work here was done. He opened his mouth as if to say something more but quickly shut it, knowing he didn't want to push his luck any further, and opened the long oak doors leading to his office.

"And your attitude might rub off on me someday" Jenny sarcastically muttered under her breath as she watched Edward go through the wooden door and into his office. "Hah, seasons come, mountains crumble, cities fall, but that mule of a man is never going to change." Why couldn't he understand? Maybe she should tell the press he had chicken pox. See how he liked that. Yes, that's exactly what she was going to do. Whistling happily to herself, she picked up the phone and dialed the TBC network. "Hello, this is General Edward's office. General Edward cannot come tonight because of being confined to his office due to…"

Meanwhile, Edward was in his office and rolled his daily schedule in a ball which he casually threw in the recycling bin. A pile of unread schedules already build up a small mountain that was overflowing the bin. He then blindly signed the stack of documents lining his desks, not caring what they were and knowing that his aids wouldn't have let it pass to him if it wasn't important. Besides, he was the general, not some pencil pusher and if he did pass an odd law now and so, it beat the hell out of actually reading the ten page long reports that needed his approval. Besides, this would make his aids work harder next time, knowing any faulty law passed would be later blamed on them. Several hundred documents later, Edward sat up and stretched his wrist which was already sore from all the signing.

Looking around the room, Edward thought how vacant and desolating it looked. Everything in his office had a function, from sharpening pencils to typing out orders that would kill millions. People going in his office often remarked being not at ease as the barren walls of the dimly lit room closed in around them. Edward massaged his back and stifled a moan as his back tried to recover from the specially designed chair that forced the occupant into uncomfortable sitting positions. It was originally an interrogation chair until Edward ordered it into his office which caused quite a commotion when the press got wind of it. Edward thought about his doctors orders for him to get rid of the chair or face long term back problems but ignored it, knowing that whatever pain he got, it was no more then he deserved. Besides, it kept him from slacking off. Getting up from the chair, he stepped out of his office, Edward told Jenny he was going out for a walk and ran down the stairs and quickly got lost among the crowds on central. That is, lost to all by one.

She couldn't believe it. This was the day. Weeks spend carefully hiding and spying finally worked to her advantage. Knowing his daily routine probably better then the man she spied on, the hooded figure sitting in coffee shop knew that this was her chance her bitter sweet revenge. General Edward always took a short walk before his evening conferences, whose times always switched regularly. Not a lot of people knew that since he always took the precaution of wearing sun glasses and a hat with heavy gray jacket that covered him completely so he looked like any of the local populace. It was only through painstaking daily observations through a telescope in her motel overlooking the central headquarters that the assailant noticed how the general was always missing around 5pm when a man of his height in scarf and jacket always left the building. Considering the general's position, it was sill unbelievably reckless of the man but that worked to her advantage.

She tossed the waiter a tip and quickly left the coffee shop lest she lose sight of her victim. Putting her right hand in her pocket, she patted the small handgun concealed in it and grabbed the hilt in preparation. Lunging her way through the crowd, she stuck to her prey and waited for her chance. She wasn't disappointed as the general separated himself from the mainstream of people rushing home and headed for the Central Cemetery. The man practically signed his death warrant. The assailant couldn't believe her luck and the recklessness of the general by walking into an abandoned area without anyone for protection. Well it just made her job all the easier. Going through the gates of the cemetery, she watched her prey going deeper in and silently followed at a distance. This chase stretched on for what seemed like hours past countless gravestones and flowers giving in reverence to those who couldn't enjoy them any more. Suddenly, her target stopped near one of the many crosses marking the graveyard and fell down to one knee.

The assailant was shocked, seeing the cold blooded killer start to sob. She crept up from behind until she was practically standing a couple of meters behind him. The assailant was hesitant, shocked at seeing the general in such a state. This lasted for only a split second as cold hard hatred replaced her shock. Slowly, she took out her hand gun and loaded the bullet that would end it all. Steadying her hand, she raised the gun and aimed, knowing this was hardly necessary since it was impossible to miss at this distance. Aiming for the head, she put her index on the trigger, and fired…

In the distance, a bunch of robins took flight as the sun was just beginning to set, staining the sky in a crimson red.

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who is the assailant? is this the end of edward? why is it that you can drive on a parkway but park on a driveway? why did my old french teacher have a huge mole on her forehead? well, truth be told, i don't know myself for half the questions but if u review, i'll do my best answering 


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